Ch. n. SOUTH AMERICA- 117 



pendicular height, by a geometrical nienfuration, we 

 found to be 10 1 toifes. 



The houfes in general, when we vifited this city, 

 were of wood, having but one ftory, and a tiled roof, 

 but large and from their difpofition, and the fym- 

 metry of their windows, made a handfome appearance. 

 A few were of ftone. Without the walls is an open 

 fuburb, larger than the city itfeif, and the houfes of 

 the fame materials and conftrudlion as thofe within, 

 except fuch as border on the country, mod of which 

 are thatched with ftraw ; and among them fome bu- 

 jios, or huts. The ftreets, both of the city and 

 fuburb, are ftrait, broad, and for the moft part 

 paved. 



Though the greateft part of the houfes were 

 formerly of wood, fires were rarely known at Panama, 

 the nature of the timber being fuch, that if any fir^ 

 is laid on the floor, or placed againft a wall, it is 

 produdive of no other coniequence than that of 

 making a hole, without kindling into a flame ; and 

 the fire itfeif extinguilhed by the afhes. But, not- 

 withftanding this excellent quality in the wood, in 

 the year 1737, the city was almoft entirely confumed, 

 the goodnefs of the timber being unable to fecure 

 it from the ravages of the flames j indeed, by the 

 concurrence of another caufe, the timber was then 

 rendered more combufliible. Th^ fire began in a 

 cellar, where, among other goods, there were great 

 quantities of pitch, tar, naphtha, and brandy ; thefe 

 inflammable fubftances rendered this Angular kind of 

 wood a more eafy prey to the devouring flames. In 

 this conflagration the fuburb owed its fafety to its 

 difl:ance from the city, which is 1200 toifes. Since 

 this misfortune, it has been again rebuilt ^ and the 

 greateft part of the houfes are now of ftone, all forts 

 of materials for buildings of this kind being here iq 

 the greateft plenty. 



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